Scrubbing machine



Dee 11, 1928. 1,694,737

W. S. FINNELL SCRUBBING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 11, 1928.

W. .5. FINNELL SQRUBBING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1927- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec; 11 1928. 1,694,737

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$CRUBBING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1927 4-Sheet's-Sheet 4 W l MM 11M 68 WWW Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

nits sTATs-s NVA'IJTEFR. S. EINNELL, 0F :HANMIBAL, .MISSOU'RE.

SQRUBBING MACHlNE.

Application filed Ecbruaryfil, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in scrubbing machines such as are used for scrubbing floors and has particular reference to that type of scrubbing machine wherein brushes are mounted to travel through a circular path over the floor surface as the machine is advanced over the latter.

More especially the invention relates to an improved brush ring and brush mounting for floor scrubbing machines.

It has. been common, in machines of this class, to provide a brush ring so arranged that the tendency existed to maintain a uniform pressure of eachbrush on the floor during its entire travel thereoven the brush holder moving in a path parallel to the floor.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved arrangement of brush ring wherein each brush will be pressed against the floor, in its travel thereover, at pressures alternating from light to firm so that the detergent materials and water will have opportunity to work under the brush during the time the latter is pressed lightly on the floor and will be then carried around with a firm pressure to effectually accomplish the scrubbing opera tion.

It has .also been C01l'lII1OI1.,. l1l an endeavor to produce proper pressures of the brushes on the floor to mount the brushes so that they may have a free rocking movement. Experience has shown however that brushes mounted in this manner fail to operate successfully on floors having slight inequalities because the tilting action lifts the brush free from the floor on one side or the other of such inequalities and leaves unscrubbed spots and also causes uneven wear on the brushes.

Another object therefore of the present invention is to provide an improved form of brush mounting wherein the brushes will at all times be held in parallelism tothe fioor so that uniform and even wear on the bristles will take place.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of brush mounting which overcomes the tendency of the brushes to dig in or tilt downwardly on the front or lead end and thus cause an elevation of said brush at therear end, which tilting of the brushes in operation produces uneven wear thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a parallel motion brush mounting which may readily accommodate itself to brushes that are new or to brushes that are Serial No. 169,777.

partly Worn and also having means whereby the pressure of the brushes on the floor may be regulated at will.

Brushes used in machines of this class are subject to rapid wear and require frequent renewals.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel means of securing a brush in its holder so that the operation of removing an old brush and replacing it with a new one maybe accomplished without use of tools and with little less of time.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein,-

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the improved brush ringarrangement and its drive certain of the adjacent parts of the scrubbing machine being also shown partly in elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 2 illustrates a bottom plan view of the machine.

Fig. 3 shows a detail section through the brush ring, the section being taken longitudinally of the machine and the view showing certain adjacent parts.

Fig. 4 is a detail inverted perspective view showing a portion of the brush ring, a brush holder and the parallel motion device.

Fig. 5 illustrates an enlarged detail view of a portion of the brush ring partly in section and shows the parallel motion devices and Fig. 6 is a detailed plan View of the spider showing its relation to the adjacent parts.

In the drawings there is shown a frame 10 which is so mounted on wheels 11 and 12 that it slightly inclines downwardly as it extends forward. On this frame 10 are mounted a water tank 13 and a soap receptacle 14. The details relating to said tank and receptacle will. now be here described as the same do not form part of the subject-matter of the present invention. It is desirable to state, however that soap and water are delivered from the receptacle and tank through nozzles 15 and 1'6 at the forward end of the machine.

Secured to the frame adjacent its forward end and extending in a cross-wise direction is a spider 17 having a centrally disposed boss 18. In this boss is fitted the upper end 19 of a spindle 20. On this spindle, just below the boss 18 is fitted a gear cover 21 which is provided on its upper surface with lugs 22 which latter engage certain of the spider arms so that the gear cover is prevented from rotating on said spindle. The upper end of the spindle is threaded to receive a nut 23 by which the spindle is held in the boss 18,-this threaded portion being flattened on opposite sides so that a keeper plate 24: fitted thereon will prevent rotation of said spindle. At each end of the body 20 of the spindle there is provided a bearing 25, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings,these bearings being fitted in the hub 26 of a bevel ear 27 carrying the brush ring 28. On the lower end of the spin dle there is mounted a casting 29 which su ports the front wheels 12.

Mounted on the main frame is a motor 30 having on its shaft a pinion 31 as shown in F l of the drawings which pinion meshes with a gear on a jack shaft The for ward end of this jack shaft carries a bevel pinion 3-iwhich latter meshes with and drives the bevel gear 27. By LlllS means the brush ring 28 is driven.

Projecting radially from the side of the ring 28 are a series of hollow inverted V- shaped arms 35 each of which has a closed outer end 36. Extending centrally through each arm and radially with respect to the ring, is a shaft 37, the ends of each shaft being engaged respectively in the closed armend 36 and in the peripheral wall of the ring 28. On each shaft 37 there is mounted an arm 38 which is provided on its lower end with a sleeve 39 which latter receives a rod 40. This rod 40 is fixedly connected to and extends horizontally from the side of a tilt ing supporting member ell and each rod is pivotally journalled in spaced-apart bearings 42 that are provided on the top surface of a brush holder plate 43. The tilting member ll has a leg l extending therefrom which leg projects over but is normally spaced slightly from the top surface of the brush holder 43 so that a slight tilting movement of the holder is permitted independently of the leg, but this tilting movement is limited. An adjusting screw a5 is provided at the end of the leg whereby the space between it and the top surface of the brush-holder may be varied to regulate the independent tilting movement of the brushholder.

Projecting upward from each arm 35 is a boss 46 whereto is pivoted the upper end of a link ell-the lower end of which link is pivoted to the upper end of the tilting member ii. The pivots of the links 38 and 47 are vertically alined at each end clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings and the links are of the same length so that this construction provides parallel motion devices for the brushholders 4:3.

Surrounding the shaft 37 and at one side of the arm 38 there is a coil spring 18 which latter has one end 49 bent to overlie and engage the arm 38 while the other end of said spring is provided with a hook 50 as shown in Fig. 5. This hook 50 is engaged in an eye 51 formed on a screw-threaded post 52 which latter is freely mounted in the side of the hollow arm 35 and is adjusted by a wing-nut 53. The adjustment of this post regulates the tension of the spring 48 and the pressure of the end 49 thereof on the arm 38 and thus each brush holder 43 can be forced downward at the desired pressure. Each brush holder 43 is provided on one side with a pair of brush-back gripping lugs 54 and on the other side with a leaf spring 55 having prongs 56 at its ends for engagement at points opposite the lugs 54 with the back 57 of a brush 5S. lVith this construction it is obvious that the brush may quickly be removed from the brush holder by pressing it laterally in the direction of the spring and lifting it out. In like manner, a new brush may be quickly placed in position.

In the construction described it will be seen that the brushes move at all times in substantial parallelism except for the slight tilting permitted at the forward end, and that consequently the tendency to wear will be evenly distributed. It will also be obvious that the pressure on the individual brushes may be quickly and readily adjusted, and that the brushes can easily be removed and replaced.

For purposes of rigidity I provide a brace ring 59 around the brush-ring 28, which brace ring connects one V-shaped arm 35 with another and thereby materially braces the said arms.

Having described my invention, I claim,

1. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring, brusl'i-holders, and parallel motion devices between and supporting the brush holders from the ring.

2. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring, brush-holders, and a parallel motion device for each brush-holder said devices each having pivot connection with the brush-ring and pivot connection with respect to the brushholder.

3. In a scrubbing machine, a brush ring, brush holders, a supporting means for each holder, each of said means including a member pivotally connected to each brush holder to permit tilting movement of said brush holder with respect to the supporting means, and a parallel motion device interposed between said means and ring.

4:. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring, brush-holders, a supporting member for each holder each of said members being pivotally connected to a respective brush-holder and a parallel motion device for each holder each device having pivot connections with the brush-ring and pivot connections with respect to the brush-holder with which it coacts.

5. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring, brush-holders, parallel motion devices between and supporting the holders from the ring and a spring to press each holder downwardly.

6. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring, brush-holders, a parallel motion device for each brush-holder each of said devices having pivot connections with the brusl1-ring and pivot connections with respect to the brushholder with which it coacts, a spring engaging a part of the parallel motion device to urge it downwardly and means for varying the tension of said spring.

7. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring, brush-holders, a supporting member for each holder, each of said members being pivotally connected to a respective brush-holder, a pair of parallel links for each holder each link having one end pivoted to the ring and the other ends of the links being respectively pivoted to said member and said holder, a spring coiled about the pivot connecting one of the links with the ring and said spring having one end engaging said link to urge it downwardly and means engaging the other end of said spring to vary the tension of the spring.

8. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring, a series of rods extending radially from the ring, a brush-holder below each rod, an arm having one end pivotally connected to the rod and its other end pivotally connected to the holder, a link having one end pivotally connected indirectly to the said holder and its other end pivoted to the ring,-the pivots at opposite ends of the arm and link being in vertical alinement and means for yieldingly pressing the holders downwardly.

9. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring mounted to rotate in an inclined plane so that one side will be higher than the other, brushholders yieldingly carried by the inclined ring and parallel motion devices connecting the holders and ring.

10. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring, of means for rotating said ring, a series of independent brush-holders; independent means for carrying the holders from the ring said means each including two pivoted links whose pivot points are in vertical alinement and spring means for swinging the pivoted links and their brush-holders downwardly.

11. In a scrubbing machine, a brush-ring,

IVALTER S. FINNELL. 

